Shakespeare and science fiction | The Shakespeare blog Shakespeare and science fiction Posted on May 27, 2011 by Sylvia Morris Poster for the science fiction film Forbidden Planet, 1956 It’s hardly surprising that Shakespeare’s play The Tempest has been used as the basis for science fiction. A ship and its crew are wrecked on a distant, mysterious island, populated only by a man with magical powers, several strange creatures who act as his servants, and his daughter. The ship’s crew break up into several groups who interact with the island’s inhabitants, upsetting the status quo and threatening to overthrow the magician. This story of how people relate to and govern each other could and has been easily relocated from the strange and exotic island to a host of fictional settings. The British Library’s new exhibition, Out of this World , is an ambitious look at the history of science fiction, tracing its roots back Shakespeare’s period and even beyond, to books not normally categorized as science fiction like Thomas More’s Utopia. The Culture Show’s programme traced this history, including a discussion of the first work of science fiction in English, The Man in the Moon, from 1638.

Interviews with curators pointed out that like much other art, science fiction is rarely about what it appears to be on the surface. The best science fiction wrestles with the place of the individual in society. I don’t know if the exhibition includes any references to Shakespeare, but this theme certainly finds expression in The Tempest. On his arrival on the island Prospero has set himself up as the ruler of the island, turning its existing inhabitants into his servants. Caliban complains I am all the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own King: and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest o’th’island. Among the shipwrecked courtiers is Gonzalo, who dreams of another kind of government. “Had I plantation of this isle … and were the King on’t, what would I do?”, he asks.

He suggests a commonwealth where all would be equal: Riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none.… All things in common Nature should produce Without sweat or endeavour: treason, felony, Sword, pike, knife, gun or need of any engine, Would I not have. The science fiction film Forbidden Planet was released in 1956, loosely based on The Tempest. The Ariel parallel, Robby the Robot, was the first movie robot to become a hero in his own right. There was no Caliban in the film but an evil force “The Id”, was created by the writer Irving Block because “There are real monsters and demons inside each one of us, without our knowing”, a sentiment which forms the basis of Macbeth. Shakespeare’s plays are almost all given an unfamiliar setting, in either a far-off country or a safely distant period of English history. This enabled Shakespeare to write safely about current political concerns, but contemporary parallels were not lost on his audiences.

In 1601 the Earl of Essex paid for Shakespeare’s company to perform the play Richard II, in which the king is deposed, hoping that the performance would rally support for the Earl’s rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. The play is comfortably set well in the past, but the connection was inescapable. The Queen is said to have responded “I am Richard II, know ye not that?” The theme of the individual in society is discussed in another of Shakespeare’s most political plays, Hamlet, and sure enough the play is raised in science fiction . The television series Star Trek has made repeated use of Shakespeare’s plays and produced many spin-offs included the wonderfully tongue in cheek translation of Hamlet into “the original Klingon”. Shakespeare and science fiction was also the subject of a post written in 2010 as part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Blogging Shakespeare. 6 Responses to Shakespeare and science fiction Andrew Cowie May 28, 2011 at 9:18 am Interesting blog, Sylvia.

I’m familiar with the Freudian Id/Caliban, super-ego/Ariel and ego/Prospero analysis of The Tempest but I’m not sure I agree that the monsters inside us ‘forms the basis of Macbeth.’ It certainly forms the basis of Freud’s view of Macbeth but Freud has dominated Shakespeare for so long, the obligatory Oedipal kiss in Hamlet, repressed sexual desire between Lear and Cordelia, etc. that it’s refreshing to see new productions from young directors who want to explore different approaches to the text. Sylvia Morris May 28, 2011 at 3:32 pm Andrew, it’s great that people who are much better-read than me comment on my posts! My ideas of Macbeth’s motivation principally come from productions which have, inevitably, been influenced by Freud (which I haven’t actually read).

But although Freud might have articulated the idea of the subconscious I don’t believe he invented it, and Kenneth Muir’s intro to the Arden Edition quotes two contemporary sources, James I, who wrote that the devil allures persons “even by these three passions that are within ourselves”, and George Giffard suggested that the power of divels “is in the hearts of men, as to harden the heart, to blind the eyes of the mind, and… to inflame them unto wrath, malice, envie, and cruell murthers”. And at 1.3.133 Macbeth, in an aside, talks of murder before we even meet Lady Macbeth, but the question of who’s responsible for Macbeth’s actions is one that will be argued over for as long as people read and perform the play! Thanks so much for your comments and please keep them coming. Richard Morris May 29, 2011 at 3:25 pm It was brilliant that the R.S.C were able to bring the best of two TV science fiction characters, Patrick Stewart from Star Trek and David Tenant from Dr. Who, together to star in the recent production of Hamlet.

I always feel sorry for poor old Caliban, but he gets his island back eventually. It was typical of most European colonists to assume control of any new land and treat the indigenous inhabitants as servants. With Gonzalo’s speech Shakespeare returns to a theme of rural simplicity, living off the land as in the Forest of Arden such as in the days of old “Robin Hood”. While societies become more complicated there is an increased need for this kind of simplicity, hence the popularity of TV programmes such as “Country File” or “Lambing Live”. As Joni Mitchell sang … “we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”. Sylvia Morris May 30, 2011 at 4:56 pm The link between Shakespeare and science fiction seems particularly strong for some reason though I suppose you could say the same for detective fiction… .The idea that there was a golden age always seems to be connected with rural simplicity ignoring the harsh realities of such a life.

Andrew Cowie May 30, 2011 at 9:20 am I shouldn’t really comment twice but just as a follow-up to Richard above, I agree that, in the post-colonial performance tradition of The Tempest, Caliban gets the island back at the end but it’s not in the text. Although he’s born on the island his mother, Sycorax, was as much of an exile as Prospero and Miranda and in Derek Jarman’s film of The Tempest Caliban is as happy to get off the place as they are! I didn’t see Rupert Goold’s production but, from what I’ve read of it, it sounds closer to Jarman’s view of the island as a lonely, barren place no-one would chose to live rather than the colonised paradise of more conventional contemporary readings. Sylvia Morris May 30, 2011 at 5:13 pm Thanks for commenting, great to hear from you again. I agree we shouldn’t be too quick to assume that the island is some kind of paradise as you can play it both ways.

In Act 2 Scene 1, Sebastian, Antonio and Adrian find the island is uninhabitable, whereas Gonzalo thinks “here is everything advantageous to life”. Why does Shakespeare contradict himself? About Caliban’s feelings, well he does say “This island’s mine” which I’ve always thought suggests he’d like it back! There’s a wonderful illustration of the final image at the end of Herbert Beerbohm Tree’s production of the play in 1906 showing the ship sailing off into the sunset while Tree, as Caliban, sits on a rock watching it disappear, though whether he was sorry or delighted to see them go I don’t know! Films Inspired by The Tempest Films Inspired by The Tempest Susan Kingston Shakespeare’s forth and final romance play The Tempest is a story rich with magical characters. The main character Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on a primitive island for some time. The play is infused with illusion and magic. Prospero has become a King on the island and is in control of Ariel, an airy spirit and Caliban a monster. When a ship wreaks on the island, caused by the tempest, who was raised by Ariel by Prospero’s order, the action begins.

This is only a short description of the play which has many other nuances that can only be experienced by reading it or seeing it performed on stage. Because of the action, romance and magical characters Shakespeare wrote in this play, it is no surprise that some movie versions have been completely based on, or loosely based on it. The two films that are going to be discussed in this paper are the 1956 Science fiction film Forbidden Planet that has become a cult classic, and the 1991 film Prospero’s Books. The first film, Forbidden Planet is set in the 23rd century. The film is set on a planet where the only two inhabitants are Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira. He created a robot named Robby to be their servant and to replicate food and drink for them. The movie starts when a spaceship led by commander Adams is sent to the planet to check, and see if there are any survivors from a ship that was sent to the planet 20 years earlier. Morbius warns the captain not to land on the planet that there was danger that he could not protect them from. The captain has his orders and lands anyway, but the ship is damaged when they land.

They land and are greeted by the Robot Robby, who takes them to Morbius. After meeting Morbius and his daughter Altaira the captain informs them they can’t leave until the ship is finished. That night the ship is broken into and a part is damaged, the next night a member of the ship is killed. Morbius tells them it is happening again and they have to leave. He then takes the captain and an officer and shows them all the things he has discovered about the former inhabitants of the planet. He has been using some of their technology that was left behind and instruments that supposedly make your IQ higher. Morbius says they must not use the IQ boosters that he is the only one strong enough to use it. That night the crewmen set a trap and realize when the monster tries to attack that it is invisible. When the monster hits the trap it is seen as a red electromagnetic being that can’t be destroyed, many men are killed. Altaira goes running to her father and describes to him a dream she is had that describes the attack. The captain figures that there is some connection to Morbius and he goes to try and discover it.

His crewman manages to get into the lab and hook up to the IQ booster, he lives long enough to tell the captain that the monster is Morbius’s id his other self that is the monster and that it can’t be controlled. When Altaira confesses her love for the captain and says she is going to leave with him, the monster comes after them and Morbius realizes finally that the monster is him and sets the self destruct and tells them to go. When the ship is far enough away, the planet blows up. Even though the movie is really a totally different version of the play the main characters are represented. Morbius is Prospero, Altaira is Miranda, Robby is Ariel, the monster of the id is Caliban and the captain is Ferdinand. This movie although a different concept stays true to the original play. Father and daughter on the planet alone, young man comes in and the daughter falls in love, the robot and the monster do the bidding of their master, and finally the father makes a great sacrifice for his daughter. I enjoyed this movie even though I am not a big classic science fiction movie buff. Some of the special effects were ridiculous but it was filmed in 1956.

I did like the spin on the classic play. I also think that people who are not interested in Shakespeare would not even realize they were watching a movie that was based on one of his plays. The second film Prospero’s Books took a different approach. The play is a product of Prospero’s mind. He is the author and the main character of the play which is performed before our eyes. His powers over all the inhabitants of the island are ruled by his books and the mirror images that are produced through Prospero. He sees everything as a mirror image, and it takes a lot of strength to conjure these images. Some of the mirror images or thoughts are not all his. Ariel and Caliban have images of their own but you finally realize that are all created by Prospero’s imagination or are a part of his self. The movie does follow the play but by taking us in and out of Prospero’s thoughts and mirror images, imagination and reality. The movie visuals were very strange to me but gave the quality that is needed for mirror images or alternate realities. In one part of the movie when Prospero throws his books in the water, Caliban saves two, the audience sees that they are volumes of Shakespeare’s plays.

I thought that was a cool way to incorporate Shakespeare. This movie although entertaining was a little confusing. The mirror images and alternate realities were a bit over the top but affective in the film, but to get the effect the director wanted that it needed to be done that way. The other characters were lost a little more in this version, because it was so based on Prospero, but that is the way it is written. Through viewing these two movies and researching this topic, I have found that Shakespeare can be interpreted and performed many different ways. The concepts and characters of his plays can be filmed to exactly portray them the way he did, or different versions can be loosely based, but still get the same points across. A lot of the topics that Shakespeare wrote about many years ago carry out through society today and because of that people will continue to use his plays to create movies and other stories. The Tempest dealt with magic, but in both interpretations of these movies the magic or monsters were in the mind of the main character. In Forbidden Planet it was the id or other self, and in Prospero’s Books it was the mirror images and his imagination that created them. After watching these was Shakespeare tying to say that this magic is just in the minds?

Do we create alternate realities and other selves that carry out things that we would not normally do? These two films did affect the interpretation of the play for me. The characters of Ariel and Caliban became more about Prospero and his selfishness and control over everything. The other things he would not do in front of his daughter or others were much easier when someone else or something was doing it for him. In the end he does redeem himself but it takes a long time to get to that point. His daughter is happy in the end but he was selfish keeping her locked up in another world all that time. These two films would be good for anyone who wanted to get another perspective of Shakespeare but keep to the main points of his play. Forbidden Planet is more fun and campy, but for people who have read the play they will understand and compare it to the play. Prospero’s Books is a little harder to watch but if you like movies about other realities you would probably prefer it. There are a few more film versions of The Tempest, and after watching these two I plan to watch them all, if they can be found. It was very rewarding watching a movie and comparing it to the original version of the play and knowing what to compare.

These two movies although completely different gave me a different look at Shakespeare’s world. Works Cited Which Shakespeare play would make the best Sci-Fi film and why? (I believe the Forbidden Planet (1956) was loosely based on the The Tempest). - Quora Which Shakespeare play would make the best Sci-Fi film and why? (I believe the Forbidden Planet (1956) was loosely based on the The Tempest). Written Apr 22, 2016 I suppose "Romeo and Juliet" can be put to any exterior. American musical, Russian drama, Bollywood movie, modern gangster style story - so why not sci-fi? Actually most of best Shakespeare's plays are pretty universal and can be moved to different circumstances. Think e.g. about my favourite: Hamlet. Kenneth Branagh didn't change a line in the play - and made it story on a joint between 19th and 20th century, Michael Almereyda moved Hamlet to modern New York. With dozens versions of Hamlet directors will search for new interpretation, and sci-fi looks tot worse choice.

10 Movies Surprisingly Based on Shakespeare 10 Movies Surprisingly Based on Shakespeare Share Comment Centuries my have passed since William Shakespeare last put ink to paper, but the stories he’s spun aren’t going anywhere. Director Joss Whedon was a film festival hit with his updating of Much Ado About Nothing (2012), and today another re-telling of Romeo & Juliet hits select theatres (after Warm Bodies gave the story a zombie twist). But period costumes and lofty dialogue isn’t the only mark of a Shakespearean story; in fact, more movies owe their plot and characters to the Bard than the average movie fan is likely to realize. With that in mind, we put together the following list of 10 Movies You Didn’t Know Were Based on Shakespeare. – She’s The Man (2006) Based On: “Twelfth Night” The Twist: Change a shipwreck to a new high school, and Shakespeare’s tale of gender-bending, disguises and love triangles is tailor-made for a new generation. In Shakespeare’s original comedy, the young Viola is separated from her twin brother after a shipwreck, and disguises herself as the male Cesario.

Eventually acting as go-between for a wealthy Duke and his romantic interest, he/she begins to fall for the Duke, as the Duke’s would-be lover develops feelings for Viola/Cesario. Amanda Bynes takes over the role of Viola’ when updated to a high school setting, posing as her brother to play on a boy’s soccer team. Although the film didn’t garner the same accolades as the source material, Shakespeare can’t be blamed for this one. – The Lion King (1994) Based On: “Hamlet” The Twist: The bulk of the story and several key scenes remain intact, with Denmark swapped for the African savanna, and people swapped for animals (mostly lions). It’s easy to overlook the relationship between “Hamlet” and The Lion King, since Shakespeare certainly didn’t invent the idea of an ‘evil uncle.’ But any theater fan would be able to follow the parallels along: the proud king (Mufasa) is killed ‘accidentally’ by his evil, power-hungry brother (Scar), and after a time away from the kingdom, the prince and rightful heir (Simba) returns to bring the truth to light.

The film even includes the ghostly vision of Mufasa, and Simba’s pair of fast-talking friends Timon and Pumbaa (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the original). A musical treatment and happier ending, of course, but “Hamlet” nonetheless. – West Side Story (1961) Based On: “Romeo & Juliet” The Twist: Swap out Italy for New York City’s Upper West Side, the wealthy families of Capulet and Montague for rival gangs the Sharks and the Jets, and add in some musical numbers, and you’ve got a hit on your hands. It’s a rare feat to adapt a centuries-old story that ultimately becomes as famous as the source material (to a generation, at least), but West Side Story – based on the Broadway play – comes close. The tale of Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden love is almost second nature to movie fans, but by infusing their musical with issues of race, immigration, and class conflict, the minds behind the adaptation formed a truly American take on a classic. The Puerto Rican Maria and the Polish-American Tony take over the title roles, but most of the plot remains the same.

– Kiss Me Kate (1953) Based On: “The Taming of the Shrew” The Twist: The classic is re-imagined as the ongoing struggle between two key actors, whose disagreements jeopardize the entire play they are now attempting to perform – William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” American song writer and composer Cole Porter’s biggest hit, Kiss me, Kate was also based on the Broadway play of the same name, and possesses some of the most overt references to Shakespeare out of all the films on this list. The film (and play) blend the story being performed with the one taking place behind the stage so well, some viewers may have realized some parallels were forming, but never grasped just how much of Shakespeare’s core story was adopted. Brilliance aside, the Porter’s songs and music take up much of the spotlight – something Shakespeare was apparently missing. – Forbidden Planet (1956) Based On: “The Tempest” The Twist: The supernatural elements of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” are re-skinned into an alien world, and sci-fi fans would have no idea they’re witnessing a story with elements written centuries before space travel.

Forbidden Planet is remembered for many reasons: as one of the original true science-fiction feature films, its style and imagery helped influence the genre for decades. But the wealth of laser beams and robots help disguise one of the film’s main influences – “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s tale of magic and revenge, considered one of the playwright’s greatest works. The shift from a remote island to an alien world means that much of the play has been adapted beyond recognition, but major themes and story arcs follow those set down by the Bard. And we can’t help but think that Shakespeare’s comedy and Leslie Nielsen is a match made in heaven. – Romeo Must Die (2000) Based On: “Romeo & Juliet” The Twist: Focusing on race instead of family loyalty, and exchanging words and daggers for guns and martial arts, “Romeo & Juliet” is adapted into a modern setting yet again. If our list has shown anything, it’s that screenwriters don’t make the mistake of actually making their story’s source material blatantly obvious in the title. So with Romeo Must Die, there’s a good chance many martial arts fans would simply have seen the title and thought nothing of it.

In the film, the title is explained as mocking Jet Li’s ‘Romeo-like’ pursuit of a rival gang leader’s daughter (Aaliyah). After all, Shakespeare would roll over in his grave if his play was adapted into an action movie called ‘Romeo Must Die,’ right? We’ll never know, but this film actually does take several cues from the classic play, albeit with an Oakland, CA flavor. – Deliver Us From Eva (2003) Based On: “The Taming of the Shrew” The Twist: Proving that Shakespeare’s comedy about the trappings of affection never gets old, stars LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union offer yet another modern re-telling, this time with the titular ‘shrew’ a health inspector who loves to stick her nose in her sisters’ love lives. We doubt William Shakespeare ever dreamed of forming a story around a leading man as suave or irresistible as LL Cool J, but the rapper-turned actor fits the role of the man hired to romance the notoriously frigid Eva. Like previous adaptations, the con turns to genuine love, and the action spins wildly out of control.

Although Deliver Us From Eva may not be received with the same accolades as Shakespeare’s greats, its no less of a faithful adaptation (but certainly not the last for the play in question). – Ran (1985) Based On: “King Lear” The Twist: The aging king dividing his estate among his daughters is re-imagined as a Japanese warlord handing his empire off to his three sons. Seen as one of the greatest tragedies of the English language, it’s no surprise that when Japanese director Akira Kurosawa made his very last epic film (the most expensive Japanese film ever made at the time) he used the chance to tell a story infused with both Japanese legend and Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” The chaos and infighting that emerge from the father’s decisions is placed on a much grander scale in Ran, but Kurosawa’s adaptation of “King Lear”s core themes are visible to any theater fan. And a fitting tribute to one of the greatest and most influential directors Asia ever produced.

– O (2001) Based On: “Othello” The Twist: The story of deceit, manipulation, jealousy and murder is moved from Venice to a high school, with the main cast of players simply students, as opposed to soldiers. The naming of characters certainly shows just how closely the film O stays to the source material, with every character possessing an anglicized version of their respective role. Casting a young Mekhi Phifer as the titular Othello (‘Odin’), his budding romance is sabotaged by the cunning deceit of Hugo (Josh Hartnett), based on ‘Iago,’ one of the most inexplicably evil villains tragedy’s ever seen. The film revolves mainly around Hugo’s plotting, updating most of his schemes for modern audiences – including the disastrous final act. But the racial themes of the original play are also heightened, with the Moorish general re-imagined as the only black student in the entire school, and the star basketball player.

– 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Based On: “The Taming of the Shrew” The Twist: The young Bianca is looking for a date to the prom, but will only be allowed to attend if her older, colder, more ‘shrewish’ sister Kat finds a date as well. The solution? Hire a suitor. The idea behind 10 Things I Hate About You is fairly straightforward: fill a high school romantic comedy with as many beautiful people as possible, and teenagers might actually sit through a Shakespearean play. The plan worked, but its close quite faithful adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew” could be largely responsible for the fact that the movie was actually enjoyable (with the talents of Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt helping as well). At this point, we’re forced to make a terrible realization: for all his accolades and admiration, William Shakespeare was essentially helping to create the genre of teen/high school angst comedy. – Conclusion Ranging from subtle adaptations to complete homages, these movies represent just a sliver of the films that owe credit to Shakespeare’s plays.

There are dozens of other adaptations to choose from, and around the world, the next few years will see plenty more. Which entries on our list surprised you? Are there any particular adaptations you’re most fond of? Be sure to name them in the comments. Science Fiction, Forbidden Planet, and Shakespeare's The Tempest Science Fiction, Forbidden Planet, and Shakespeare's The Tempest AUTHOR(S) CLCWeb: Comparative Literature & Culture: A WWWeb Journal;Mar2004, Vol. 6 Issue 1, Special section p1 SOURCE TYPE Film/Television Criticism ABSTRACT In his paper, "Science Fiction, Forbidden Planet, and Shakespeare's The Tempest," Simone Caroti illustrates the way in which Cyril Hume and Fred Wilcox's 1956 science fiction movie Forbidden Planet -- whose plot is inspired by Shakespeare's Tempest -- reconfigures in Shakespeare's play. Caroti begins by defining the genre of science fiction and explaining its attraction for modern audiences. Following Darko Suvin's notions of science fiction, Caroti highlights the theme of cognitive estrangement and shows how Forbidden Planet offers a cultural translation of this theme in The Tempest.

The result of Caroti's analysis is to read Prospero and his magic in contemporary terms: the film translates Shakespeare's sense of wonder and the conflict between the rational interpretive self and the forces of the irrational into a search for truth and an understanding of the place of humanity in the universe. ACCESSION # Related Articles 'THE NAME OF PROSPER': A PHILOLOGICAL ENGAGEMENT. ABRAMS, RICHARD // Review of English Studies;Apr2015, Vol. 66 Issue 274, p258 This article attempts to reconstruct philologically the broad semantic field in which Prospero's naming took place. Latin literature, early modern European culture, and English texts dating from the time of The Tempest's first known performance all offer insights. English and continental... O, BRAVE NEW WORLD. A. D. V. // Santa Fe Reporter;7/15/2015, Vol. 42 Issue 28, p21 No abstract available. The Modern Lyric and Prospero's Island. Conniff, Brian // Twentieth Century Literature (Twentieth Century Literature);Spring88, Vol.

34 Issue 1, p84 The article analyzes the poem "The Sea and the Mirror," by W. H. Auden, noting its connection with the play "The Tempest," by William Shakespeare. It provides a description of the character named Prospero, comments on Auden's interpretation of "The Tempest" and its depiction of magic and... Film Notes and Queries . // Literature Film Quarterly;Fall77, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p367 Presents schedules of activities related to films. Conference on William Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'; Interview of director Marcel Ophuls and screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury; Conference featuring filmaker Peter Watkins. Working with Shakespeare: Confessions of an adviser. Jackson, Russell // Cineaste;12/15/98, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p42 Presents insights shared by the author, a text adviser on three Shakespeare films, on the lessons he learned from his profession. How he became involved in the motion picture industry; Comments on Kenneth Branagh's `Much Ado About Nothing' and `Henry V'; Comments on the actors' performances. Shakespeare...with additional dialog. Pendleton, Thomas A.

// Cineaste;12/15/98, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p62 Focuses on the manner by which William Shakespeare's plays are adapted in the cinema. Views on the strategic approach of director Sam Taylor; Comments on Kenneth Branagh's `Hamlet'; Views about Orson Welles' `Othello.' Bibliography for the Study of Shakespeare on Film in Asia and Hollywood. Ghita, Lucian // CLCWeb: Comparative Literature & Culture: A WWWeb Journal;Mar2004, Vol. 6 Issue 1, Special section p1 Two bibliographies related to film adaptations of work by British playwright William Shakespeare created in the U.S. and Asia are presented, featuring the books "Kurosawa's 'Hamlet?'" by Kaori Ashizu, "Introduction to 'Titus': The Illustrated Screenplay" by Jonathan Bate, and "Japanese Film...

Southside Advertiser Local news updates and reviews FESTIVAL THEATRE EDINBURGH WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH What do you get when you take a spaceship called "The Albatross" playing 1950s and 1960s (well mostly)jukebox hits and crash land it into Shakespeare's plays ? The answer, that hard-to-define stage musical that is "Return to The Forbidden Planet". At its heart, this show is based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and the classic 1956 MGM science fiction film "Forbidden Planet" (also loosely based on the same play). The film is regarded by many as maybe the best of the 1950s science fiction classics, as it was the first to place all the action entirely in space and on another planet. The basic story is simple. Out in space the crew of The Albatross encounter an unknown planet after being damaged in space by a meteor storm. Their science officer escapes in their last escape shuttle and we meet Dr Prospero from the planet, his beautiful teenage daughter Miranda, and the robot called Ariel.

We also learn that Dr Prospero has created a drug that allows him to use the unused portion of his brain to develop "telegenesis", allowing him to create matter from thought alone. Our crew on tonight's flight are Captain Tempest (Sean Needham), Science Officer/Gloria (Christine Holman), Cookie (Mark Newnham), Dr Prospero (Jonathan Markwood), Ariel (Joseph Mann), Miranda (Sarah Scowen), Bosun Arras (Steve Simmonds) and Navigation Officer (Greg Last). We also have appearances from Grant Stott and Brian May of Queen (on film only). It is a long time since I have seen this show (now in its 25th year), but it still retains that deliberate on stage acting style reminiscent of camp 1950s films and cinema serials, so this makes any evaluation of the acting on stage difficult as it is all meant to be this way. Captain Tempest is, as you would expect, in command of the ship, but he is clearly not too bright. He is also completely devoted to his career and the only woman in his life is his ship.

Like his 1950s counterpart of Dan Dare from the Eagle comic he also walks around smoking a pipe. Science Officer (and later revealed as Prospero's wife Gloria) has an odd accent that I am not sure where it comes from. Cookie as you would expect is the ship's cook and the character is based heavily on the cook from the original 1956 film. Dr Prospero gets to be a real over the top Shakespearian villain while visually looking a bit like one of the Doctors from Doctor Who, and Ariel the Robot has light touches of Robbie the Robot, but having to be humanoid for the show does look more like a Dr Who Cyberman. Miranda as the teenage daughter of Dr Prospero gets to meet "men" for the first time and in her best period outfit falls immediately in love with The Captain not realising that Cookie has fallen immediately in love with her. Visually, the set and costumes owe much to the original film, and much of the dialogue is borrowed from Shakespeare's plays. What dialogue is not from this source is almost all still in a Shakespearian style.

It is an odd visual and audio mix that, once you realise what the cast are saying and the source material they are using, works surprisingly well and is in parts so cleverly used. Even though he is Captain, Sean Needham does not in this part get the best character as his part really is a stereotyped cardboard cut out. The two best parts go to Mark Newnham as Cookie (the cook also got one of the best parts in the original film) and Jonathan Markwood as Dr Prospero. This is after all a musical and Mark Newnham gets more on-stage musical time than anyone else in the cast and gets the chance to put in some nice guitar solos too (adding some little AC/DC references as he goes along too). Jonathan Markwood gets to do a very good version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". Sarah Scowen as Miranda gets all those teenage songs to sing and she does them well, including a version of Mr Spaceman by The Byrds. Christine Holman as Gloria gets some classics too. Let us not forget the singing/dancing robot Ariel (Joseph Mann) who gets this great little adaptation of "Who's Sorry Now" by Connie Francis to sing.

Miranda of course also gets to cover in Connie Francis style "Robot Man" with him. Musical references are everywhere here. Right at the start as they enter light drive (another first from the original film), and then hit weightlessness, we get a musical montage of Wipe Out (The Surfaris), Telstar (The Tornados) and Albatross (Fleetwood Mac)...well I suppose they could not miss Albatross out. Later on we get all sorts of film/television and musical references...Mission Impossible, James Bond, Clint Eastwood westerns and many more. One nice little touch for me was the way that Act I ended with the Monster from the id attacking Gloria and the crew and then pretty much rerun the same scene again at the start of Act II. A nice little touch reminiscent of how the old weekly cinema science fiction serials worked. Grant Stott puts in small but effective use of time on stage talking to the audience in a very traditional role as the story narrator. There are lots of references in here from popular culture and music of the 1950s and 1960s (and a few later ones too).

This itself can be the one weakness of the show as you can easily miss so many little things as even the core songs (never mind the musical snippets) require you to be familiar with pop and media culture of the time frame, and as the show gets older and its potential audience younger then this does create a reference point gap. It is however nice to see that while retaining the core musical material, some newer items have been incorporated into the show. Return to The Forbidden Planet is what it is. A musical homage to the 1950s and 1960s using the visual imagery of the classic 1956 film while cleverly using some of the best known lines of work ever written for stage. It is camp, it is over the top, but you need to do nothing more than just sit in your seat for the evening and enjoy the show and the mild audience participation. Sadly, the theatre was not that busy for the show (pouring with rain outside), so a bit of that audience participation feeling was missing from the show. You are not going to find any thought provoking moment or some hidden meaning of life at this show, but you are going to have an evening of just simple on-stage entertainment.

‘Return To The Forbidden Planet’ Articles at The Reviews Hub Return to the Forbidden Planet – Palace Theatre, Manchester Writer: Bob Carlton Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Malcolm Wallace Celebrating its 25th anniversary,Return to the Forbidden Planethas landed in Manchester with aplomb on the final leg of its current UK tour.Loosely based on the 1956 science fiction filmForbidden Planet, which itself was loosely based on Shakespeare’sThe Tempest,original creator and director of this production, Bob Carlton created the show back ... Return To The Forbidden Planet – Blackpool Grand Theatre Writer and Director: Bob Carlton Musical Director: Greg Last Choreographer: Fredrick Ruth Reviewer: Francesca Parker On it’s 25th Anniversary tour Return To The Forbidden Planet, directed by Queen’s Theatre Company, arrives at the Blackpool Grand Theatre for one week only. As a rock and roll musical set in the future with robots and spacecrafts, it is a performance that the ... Return To The Forbidden Planet – Blackpool Grand Theatre Writer and Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Francesca Parker On it’s 25th Anniversary tour Return To The Forbidden Planet, directed by Queen’s Theatre Company, arrives at the Blackpool Grand Theatre for one week only.

As a rock and roll musical set in the future with robots and spacecrafts, it is a performance that the whole family could enjoy. When Captain Tempest ... Return to the Forbidden Planet – New Theatre, Cardiff Writer: Bob Carlton Music: Greg Last, Julian Littman Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Beth Steer “Two beeps or not two beeps, that is the question”, apparently. At least, that’s what the Olivier Award winning production, Return to the Forbidden Planet – currently in the midst of its 25th anniversary tour - would have you believe. Written by playwright Bob Carlton and ... Return to the Forbidden Planet – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Writer: Bob Carlton Director: Bob Carlton Choreographer: Frederick Ruth Reviewer: Fraser MacDonald Currently on its 25th Anniversary Tour, Return to the Forbidden Planet lands with a crash in Edinburgh this week. Filled with hit songs but not much else, the show is far more of a disappointment than a spectacle. A surreal blending of Shakespeare and Star Trek, this jukebox ...

Return To The Forbidden Planet – Civic Theatre, Darlington Writer & Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Lindsay Sykes Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Return To The Forbidden Planet, the anniversary tour arrives at Darlington this week. And what a celebration it is. Billed as Shakespeare’s ‘forgotten rock n roll masterpiece’, Return to the Forbidden Planet has roots with The Tempest. Futuristically set on a spaceship under the command of pipe ... Return to the Forbidden Planet – King’s Theatre, Glasgow Writer: Bob Carlton Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys 25 years on and Bob Carlton's quite frankly bonkers idea to take Shakespeare's The Tempest,by way of 1956 sci-fi movie classic Forbidden Planet and turn it into a musical jam-packed with the greatest hits of the 50s and 60s, is still wowing audiences up and down the country. The success of ... Return to the Forbidden Planet – New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Writer: Bob Carlton Director: Bob Carlton Reviewer: Selwyn Knight What a talented bunch the cast of Return to the Forbidden Planet are! With boundless energy, they dance, sing and play the instruments for this joyous, fast-moving production.

Based loosely on the 1956 film, The Forbidden Planet, itself carrying echoes of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the show is an intoxicating mix of ...

Question: Which science fiction film of 1956 was loosely based on Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'?
Answer: FORBIDDEN PLANET